Recipe: Sweet and Savory Dumpling

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Dumplings and was found on food52.

"A delicious Asian dumpling is based on three components: juicy filling, the skin, and the shape of the dumpling. I won't dive into the details of each.... In this recipe, no matter how one struggle with sealing and shaping the dumpling; the result is uniformly puffy and delicious- fried and chewy, light and crispy, sweet and savory, making it a great appetizer."

*Also can be pre-made and frozen until use.

Makes 12

Filling :

1/3 cup ground pork
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon chinese cooking wine
1/2 tablespoon green onion, chopped
2 tablespoons water chest nuts, chopped
2 tablespoons *pork stock gelatine (optional)

Dumpling Skin:

1 cup glutinous rice flour
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
rice flour, or tapioca flour for dusting

1. Mix together all the ingredients for the filling; set aside.

2. Combine glutinous rice flour and baking soda. Warm water and sugar over stove until dissolved; add glutinous rice flour and swiftly mix with a wooden spoon until clump away from the sides, forming a clump. (If too wet, add 1 tbsp more of glutinous rice flour)

3. Let the dough sit for 1~2 min, or until warm enough to handle by hand; knead the dough until well combined. Roll the dough into a long strip, divide it evenly into 12 sections.

4. Press the dough flat into the palm of hand, then using forefinger and thumb rotating and pressing evenly around the dough, extending it into a 3 inch diameter dumpling skin. Put around 1tsp of filling into the middle and gently seal the skin into a dumpling. Set aside in a plate, well-dusted with tapioca/rice flour. (*can freeze up to 1 month)

5. Heat oil in pot until 350 degrees; drop 3 dumplings at a time, fry each side about 3 minutes, or until golden and puffy. Drain in paper towel.

6. Enjoy with red rice vinegar dip.